Melanie Amaro, the winner of the first season of The X Factor USA (2011), has been working hard in the studio since her impressive victory, and released her first single ‘Don’t Fail Me Now,’ today. The song, written by Livvi Franc (Britney Spears, Michael Jackson) and produced by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins (Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears), represents Amaro’s arduous journey to stardom. In ‘Don’t Fail Me Now,’ Amaro describes her road to success, “I’ve paid my dues, I’ve paid the price, I’ve prayed for you almost every night.” She pleads, “I’ve walked the longest road so don’t fail me now, feet don’t fail me now.”

Melanie honed and crafted new songs in the studio while perfecting her signature sound, collaborating with renowned producers such as Tricky Stewart (Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Beyonce). Amaro took her X Factor victory seriously, and as ‘Don’t Fail Me Now’ proves, she’s created a caliber of music that her X Factor fans would expect from the gifted new talent. Thanks to songwriting and studio time well spent, her as-yet-untitled album promises to be as bold and irresistible as the 20-year-old herself.

L.A. Reid comments, “I am really proud to have Melanie Amaro on the Epic Records roster. As the winner of the first season of The X Factor she is a proven champion who is destined for success.”

Since winning the coveted X Factor top spot, the guaranteed $5 million, and signing to Epic Records/Syco, Amaro hunkered down, focusing almost exclusively on crafting a debut worthy of her massive talent.

As Cowell noted when Amaro won The X Factor: “She’s someone who can sell records all over the world, and I think she’s got longevity. She’s got that star ability, and she’s tough.”

Taking her mentors’ confidence seriously, Amaro, who was lauded by The Los Angeles Times for her “gigantic, pitch-perfect and incredibly supple vocals,” kept a laser-focus in the studio. With the infectious ‘Don’t Fail Me Now’ and her full-length album in the wings, Amaro is clearly poised for stardom. But she wasn’t born with a silver spoon; Amaro entered The X Factor competition at the urging of her mother, who’d sent Melanie to live with her grandparents in the British Virgin Islands when she was just a child. With her family struggling for financial stability, Amaro used music as an escape, and singing in church as her outlet. Now on the cusp of her debut release, it’s patently clear that Melanie’s crystal-clear voice is as big as her ambition and talent.